U.S. patent application number 10/765019 was filed with the patent office on 2004-09-23 for self-closing drawer slide.
Invention is credited to Boks, Michael J..
Application Number | 20040183411 10/765019 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 32994708 |
Filed Date | 2004-09-23 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040183411 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Boks, Michael J. |
September 23, 2004 |
Self-closing drawer slide
Abstract
A self-closing drawer slide includes a cabinet member, a drawer
member, a plurality of bearings interfitted between the cabinet and
drawer members, a generally planar surface having a channel defined
therein, which extends in a direction parallel to the direction of
movement of the drawer member, and a slider positioned in the
channel and adapted to selectively engage the drawer member. A
spring is connected to the slider and adapted to exert a pulling
force that tends to pull the slider toward the back end of the
channel. In addition, a holding notch is defined in the planar
surface adjacent the front end of the channel, which is adapted to
releasably hold the slider near the front end of the channel. The
slider is adapted to engage a surface on the drawer member that
causes the slider to move into the holding notch when the drawer
member is moved to the extended position and to move out of the
holding notch when the drawer member is moved to the closed
position, with the spring causing the slider to move to the back
end of the channel when the slider is moved out of the holding
notch and to thereby move the drawer member to the closed
position.
Inventors: |
Boks, Michael J.; (Grand
Rapids, MI) |
Correspondence
Address: |
VAN DYKE, GARDNER, LINN AND BURKHART, LLP
2851 CHARLEVOIX DRIVE, S.E.
P.O. BOX 888695
GRAND RAPIDS
MI
49588-8695
US
|
Family ID: |
32994708 |
Appl. No.: |
10/765019 |
Filed: |
January 26, 2004 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60456200 |
Mar 20, 2003 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
312/333 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47B 88/467
20170101 |
Class at
Publication: |
312/333 |
International
Class: |
A47B 088/00 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A self-closing drawer slide comprising: a cabinet member adapted
to be stationarily mounted to the inside of a cabinet; a drawer
member adapted to be mounted to a drawer, said drawer member and
said cabinet member both having bearing surfaces; a plurality of
bearings interfitted between said cabinet member and said drawer
member and in contact with said bearing surfaces, said bearings
adapted to allow said drawer member to move between a closed
position and an extended position, said drawer member having all of
its bearing surfaces nested within the cabinet member; a generally
planar surface having a channel defined therein, said channel
extending in a direction parallel to the direction of movement of
the drawer member, said channel having a front end and a back end
and a substantially uniform width between said front and back ends,
said front end being positioned nearer than said back end to an
opening in the cabinet out of which the drawer member exits when in
the extended position; a slider positioned in said channel and
adapted to selectively engage the drawer member, a spring connected
to said slider and adapted to exert a pulling force that tends to
pull said slider toward the back end of said channel; and a holding
notch defined in said planar surface adjacent the front end of said
channel, said holding notch adapted to releasably hold the slider
near the front end of the channel, said slider adapted to engage a
surface on the drawer member that causes said slider to move into
the holding notch when the drawer member is moved to the extended
position and to move out of the holding notch when the drawer
member is moved to the closed position, said spring causing said
slider to move to the back end of the channel when the slider is
moved out of the holding notch and to thereby move the drawer
member to the closed position.
2. The drawer slide of claim 1 further including an intermediate
member positioned between said drawer and said cabinet members and
adapted to move between an extended position and a closed position,
said intermediate member including a plurality of bearing surfaces
in contact with said bearings wherein all of said bearing surfaces
of said intermediate member are nested within said cabinet
member.
3. The drawer slide of claim 1, wherein said planar surface is made
of plastic.
4. The drawer slide of claim 1, wherein said spring is generally
cylindrically shaped and defines an interior space that is free of
any structures.
5. The drawer slide of claim 4, wherein said slider includes a body
with a tab projecting therefrom to selectively engage the drawer
member.
6. The drawer slide of claim 5, wherein said body further includes
a flange, said flange depending from said body in an opposite
direction than said tab, and said spring being connected to said
flange.
7. The drawer slide in claim 6, wherein said body includes an upper
portion, an intermediate portion, and a bottom portion, said upper
portion and said lower portion being wider than said width of said
channel, and said intermediate portion being narrower than said
channel wherein said upper and lower portions guide said slider
along said planar surface in said channel.
8. The drawer slide in claim 7, wherein said flange extends from
said bottom portion.
9. The drawer slide in claim 6, wherein said flange is offset from
said tab.
10. The drawer slide of claim 1, wherein said slider includes a
portion above said planar surface extending laterally with respect
to said channel to limit movement of said slider into said planar
surface and thereby provide a guide for said slider.
11. The drawer slide of claim 10, wherein said slider includes a
portion below said planar surface extending laterally with respect
to said channel to limit movement of said slider from said planar
surface to thereby form a second guide wherein said planar surface
is captured between said guides when said slider is positioned in
said channel.
12. The drawer slide of claim 1, wherein said slider has a top
portion and a bottom, said top portion and bottom portion being
wider than said width of said channel and separated by an
intermediate portion having a width narrower than said width of
said channel such that said intermediate portion can travel in said
channel in the direction of movement of the drawer member.
13. The drawer slide of claim 12, wherein said planar surface
further includes an enlarged opening in communication with said
channel, said enlarged opening having a width greater than the
width of at least one of said top portion and bottom portion of
said slider whereby said slider can be inserted into the enlarged
opening to allow said intermediate portion to fit into said
channel.
14. The drawer slide of claim 13, wherein said enlarged opening is
positioned at the back end of said channel.
15. The drawer slide of claim 14, wherein said channel comprises a
first channel, said enlarged opening being separated from said
first channel by an intermediate channel that intersects said first
channel at an angle.
16. The drawer slide of claim 12, wherein said spring comprises a
coil spring defining an interior spring that is free of any
structures.
17. The drawer slide of claim 1, further comprising at least one
ramp to raise said drawer member when said drawer member is moved
to said closed position to align said surface with said slider.
18. The drawer slide according to claim 17, wherein said slider
includes a projecting tab, said tab having a base, and said ramp
raising said surface at or above said base to thereby align said
surface with said slider.
19. The drawer slide according to claim 18, further comprising a
flange, said flange projecting above said generally planar surface
and having a sloped surface, said slope surface forming said
ramp.
20. The drawer slide according to claim 19, wherein said flange
comprises a pair of flanges, said flanges forming a pair of said
ramps.
21. A self-closing mechanism for a drawer slide mountable within a
cabinet and movable between a closed position and an extended
position, said self-closing mechanism adapted to automatically move
said drawer slide completely to the closed position when the drawer
slide has been moved nearly to the closed position, said
self-closing mechanism comprising: a planar surface; a channel
defined in said planar surface and extending in a direction
parallel to the direction of movement of the drawer slide, said
channel having a front end and a back end and a substantially
uniform width between said front and back ends, said front end
being positioned nearer than said back end to an opening in the
cabinet out of which the drawer slide exits when in the extended
position; a slider positioned in said channel and adapted to
selectively engage the drawer slide, said slider having a top
portion and a bottom, said top portion and bottom portion being
wider than said channel width and separated by an intermediate
portion having a width narrower than said channel width such that
said intermediate portion can travel in said channel in the
direction of movement of the drawer slide; a spring connected to
said slider and adapted to bias said slider toward the back end of
said channel; and a holding notch defined in said planar surface
adjacent the front end of said channel, said holding notch adapted
to releasably hold the slider near the front end of the channel,
said slider adapted to engage a surface on the drawer slide that
causes said slider to move into the holding notch when the drawer
slide is moved to the extended position and to move out of the
holding notch when the drawer slide is moved to the closed
position, said spring causing said slider to move to the back end
of the channel when the slider is moved out of the holding notch
and to thereby move the drawer slide to the closed position.
22. The mechanism of claim 21, wherein said spring includes no
contact with any metal structures.
23. The mechanism of claim 22, wherein said spring is generally
cylindrically shaped and defines an interior space that is free of
any structures.
24. The mechanism of claim 21, further comprising a body, said body
including said planar surface and an end wall, said spring mounted
between said end wall and said slider.
25. The mechanism of claim 21, wherein said planar surface is made
of plastic.
26. The mechanism of claim 21, wherein said spring is generally
cylindrically shaped and defines an interior space that is free of
any structures.
27. The mechanism of claim 21, wherein said slider includes a tab,
said tab adapted to selectively engage the drawer slide or the
drawer member.
28. The mechanism of claim 27, wherein said tab has a sloped
top.
29. The mechanism of claim 27, wherein said tab comprises a round
cylindrical member.
30. The mechanism of claim 27, wherein said body further includes a
flange, said flange depending from said body in an opposite
direction than said tab, and said spring being connected to said
flange.
31. The mechanism in claim 30, wherein said flange extends from
said bottom portion.
32. The mechanism in claim 30, wherein said upper portion comprises
a generally planar member.
33. The mechanism of claim 21, wherein said intermediate portion
comprises a pair of spaced apart members extending between said
upper and bottom portions.
34. The mechanism of claim 33, wherein said spaced apart members
comprise cylindrical members.
35. The mechanism of claim 33, wherein said spaced apart members
comprise round cylindrical members.
36. The mechanism of claim 21, wherein said planar surface further
includes an enlarged opening in communication with said channel,
said enlarged opening having a width greater than the width of at
least one of said top portion and bottom portion of said slider
whereby said slider can be inserted into the enlarged opening to
allow said intermediate portion to fit into said channel.
37. The mechanism of claim 36, wherein said enlarged opening is
positioned at the back end of said channel.
38. The mechanism of claim 37, wherein said channel comprises a
first channel, said enlarged opening being separated from said
first channel by an intermediate channel that intersects said first
channel at an angle.
39. A self-retracting slide comprising: a first fixed rail; a
sliding rail slidable with respect to said fixed rail and adapted
to move between a retracted position in said fixed rail and an
extended position wherein at least a portion of said sliding rail
is extended from said fixed rail, said sliding rail having a web; a
body having a channel defined therein, said channel extending in a
direction parallel to the direction of movement of the sliding
rail, said channel having a front end and a back end and a
substantially uniform width between said front and back ends, said
front end being positioned nearer than said back end to an end of
said fixed rail from which said sliding rail extends; a slider
positioned in said channel and adapted to selectively engage said
web of the sliding rail, said slider having a portion above said
body surface extending laterally with respect to said channel to
limit movement of said slider into said body through said channel
and thereby provide a guide for said slider along said channel; a
spring connected to said slider and adapted to exert a pulling
force that tends to pull said slider toward the back end of said
channel; and a holding notch defined in said body adjacent the
front end of said channel, said holding notch adapted to releasably
hold the slider near the front end of the channel, said slider
adapted to engage a surface of said web that causes said slider to
move into the holding notch when the drawer member is moved to the
extended position and to move out of the holding notch when the
drawer member is moved to the closed position, said spring causing
said slider to move to the back end of the channel when the slider
is moved out of the holding notch and to thereby move the sliding
member to the retracted position.
40. The self-retracting slide of claim 39, wherein said slider
includes a portion below said body extending laterally with respect
to said channel to limit movement of said slider from said body to
thereby form a second guide wherein a portion of said body is
captured between said guides when said slider is positioned in said
channel.
41. The self-retracting slide of claim 39, wherein said body
comprises a plastic body.
42. The self-retracting slide of claim 39, wherein said spring is
generally cylindrically shaped and defines an interior space that
is free of any structures.
43. The self-retracting slide of claim 42, wherein said slider
includes a tab projecting to selectively engage the web of the
sliding rail.
44. The self-retracting slide of claim 43, wherein said body
further includes a flange, said flange depending from said body,
and said spring being connected to said flange.
45. The self-retracting slide of claim 44, wherein said body
further includes outwardly extending tabs for engaging said fixed
rail to thereby mount said body to said fixed rail.
46. The self-retracting slide of claim 45, wherein said fixed rail
includes mounting openings, said tabs engaging said fixed rail at
said mounting openings.
47. The self-retracting slide of claim 43, wherein said body
includes at least one ramp, said ramp raising said web of said
sliding rail to align with said tab of said slider.
48. The self-retracting slide of claim 47, wherein said body
includes a pair of flanges, said flanges forming a pair of said
ramps.
49. The self-retracting slide of claim 48, wherein said flanges
extend from an end of said body toward said sliding rail.
50. The self-retracting slide of claim 49, wherein said web
includes an engagement notch, said engagement notch engaging said
tab of said slider; and said flanges straddling said engagement
notch to thereby raise said sliding rail before said tab enters
said engagement notch.
Description
[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. provisional
application Serial No. 60/456,200, filed Mar. 20, 2003, which is
herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention generally relates to drawer slides
and, more particularly, to drawer slides that include self-closing
features that automatically close the drawer slide when the
attached drawer has been pushed almost all the way back into the
cabinet.
[0003] Drawer slides are customarily used to support drawers in
cabinets. Typically, one drawer slide member is attached to each
side of the drawer and each side of the internal wall in the
cabinet. The drawer slides support the drawer as it is pulled out
of the cabinet to an extended position and pushed back into the
cabinet to a closed position. The drawer slides typically include
some kind of bearings which allow the smooth movement of the drawer
into and out of the cabinet. Conventional drawer slides can also be
mounted underneath the drawer in a concealed fashion so that they
are not visible when the drawer is pulled open. Other types of
mountings of drawer slides are also known in the art.
[0004] In some prior art drawer slides, there has been nothing
incorporated into the drawer slide that maintains the drawer within
the cabinet after it has been pushed therein other than friction.
In other words, after a person pushes a drawer back into the
cabinet, there is no structure to guarantee that the drawer will
stay pushed all the way into the cabinet other than the friction of
the drawer slide and the drawer within the cabinet. In some
instances, this friction is insufficient to maintain the drawer
within the cabinet. In those instances, the drawer may slide
partially back out of the cabinet or roll forward out of the
cabinet. The drawer will thus not stay in a closed position. In
order to overcome these problems, drawer slides have been created
that automatically pull the drawer to the closed position and exert
a biasing force against the drawer to maintain it in the closed
position. These drawer slides are generally known as self-closing
drawer slides.
[0005] In the past, self-closing drawer slides have suffered from
several disadvantages. In some cases, the self-closing mechanism of
the drawer slide has tended to operate in a noisy or squeaky
fashion. This can occur when the self-closing mechanism includes
moving parts with metal to metal contact. In other cases, the
self-closing mechanism has not been constructed as economically as
possible. In still other cases, it has been difficult to properly
position the self-closing mechanism in relation to the drawer slide
in a space efficient manner. The need for a self-closing drawer
slide that alleviates some of these types of disadvantages can
therefore be seen.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] Accordingly, the present invention provides an improved
drawer slide with a self-closing mechanism. The improved drawer
slide operates in a quiet manner and is constructed in a robust,
cost efficient, and space efficient manner.
[0007] According to one aspect of the present invention, a
self-closing drawer slide is provided. The self-closing drawer
slide includes a cabinet member, a drawer member, a plurality of
bearings, a generally planar surface, a slider, a spring, and a
holding notch. The cabinet member is adapted to be stationarily
mounted to the inside of a cabinet. The drawer member is adapted to
be mounted to the drawer. Both the drawer member and the cabinet
members have bearing surfaces which contact the bearings. The
bearings are interfitted between the cabinet member and the drawer
member and adapted to allow the drawer member to move between a
closed position and an extended position. The drawer member has all
of its bearing surfaces nested within the cabinet member. The
generally planar surface has a channel defined therein that extends
in a direction parallel to the direction of movement of the drawer
member. The channel has a front end and a back end and a
substantially uniform width between the front and back ends. The
front end is positioned nearer than the back end to an opening in
the cabinet out of which the drawer member exits when in the
extended position. The slider is positioned in the channel and
adapted to selectively engage the drawer member. The spring is
connected to the slider and adapted to exert a pulling force that
tends to pull the slider toward the back end of the channel. The
holding notch is defined in the planar surface adjacent the front
end of the channel and adapted to releasably hold the slider near
the front end of the channel. The slider is adapted to engage a
surface on the drawer member that causes the slider to move into
the holding notch when the drawer member is moved to the extended
position and to move out of the holding notch when the drawer
member is moved to the closed position. The spring causes the
slider to move to the back end of the channel when the slider is
moved out of the holding notch and to thereby move the drawer
member to the closed position.
[0008] According to another aspect of the present invention, a
self-closing mechanism for a drawer slide is provided. The drawer
slide is mountable within a cabinet and movable between a closed
position and an extended position. The self-closing mechanism is
adapted to automatically move the drawer slide completely to the
closed position when the drawer slide has been moved nearly to the
closed position. The self-closing mechanism includes a planar
surface, a channel defined in the planar surface, a slider
positioned in the channel, a spring connected to the slider, and a
holding notch defined in the planar surface. The channel extends in
a direction generally parallel to the direction of movement of the
drawer slide and includes a front end and a back end. The channel
has a substantially uniform width between the front and back ends.
The front end is positioned nearer than the back end to an opening
in the cabinet out of which the drawer slide exits when in the
extended position. The slider is adapted to selectively engage the
drawer slide and includes a top portion and a bottom. The top
portion and bottom portion are both wider than the channel width
and are separated by an intermediate portion having a width that is
narrower than the channel width such that the intermediate portion
can travel in the channel in the direction of movement of the
drawer slide. The spring is connected to the slider and adapted to
bias the slider toward the back end of the channel. The holding
notch is defined in the planar surface adjacent the front end of
the channel and adapted to releasably hold the slider near the
front end of the channel. The slider is adapted to engage a surface
on the drawer slide that causes the slider to move into the holding
notch when the drawer slide is moved to the extended position and
to move out of the holding notch when the drawer slide is moved to
the closed position. The spring causes the slider to move to the
back end of the channel when the slider is moved out of the holding
notch and to thereby move the drawer slide to the closed
position.
[0009] According to other aspects of the present invention, the
drawer slide may include an intermediate member positioned between
the drawer member and the cabinet members which is adapted to move
between an extended position and a closed position. The
intermediate member may include a plurality of bearing surfaces in
contact with the bearings wherein all of these bearing surfaces are
nested within the cabinet member. The planar surface may be made of
plastic and the spring may be positioned such that it is not in
contact with any other metal structures. The planar surface may
include an enlarged opening in communication with the channel. The
enlarged opening may have a width greater than the width of at
least one of the top portion and bottom portion of the slider
whereby the slider can be inserted into the enlarged opening to
allow the intermediate portion to fit into the channel. The
enlarged opening may be positioned at the back end of the channel.
The spring may be cylindrically shaped and define an interior that
is free of any structures. The self-closing drawer slide of the
present invention provides a smooth, quiet, and efficient
self-closing drawer slide. These and other advantages of the
present invention will be apparent to one skilled in the art upon
review of the following specification and accompanying
drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a drawer having a pair of
drawer slides according to one aspect of the present invention;
[0011] FIG. 2 is a plan view photograph of a self-closing mechanism
of the present invention illustrated detached from a drawer
slide;
[0012] FIG. 3 is a partial, perspective view of the self-closing
drawer slide of the present invention illustrated in the closed or
retracted position;
[0013] FIG. 4 is a partial, perspective view of the self-closing
drawer slide of the present invention illustrated in a partially
extended position;
[0014] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the self-closing mechanism
of the present invention;
[0015] FIG. 6 is a perspective, exploded view of the self-closing
mechanism of FIG. 5;
[0016] FIG. 6A is an enlarged perspective view of the slider of the
closing mechanism;
[0017] FIG. 6B is a side elevation view of the slider of FIG.
6A;
[0018] FIG. 6C is an end elevation view of the slider of FIG.
6B;
[0019] FIG. 6D is a top plan view of the slider of FIG. 6B;
[0020] FIG. 7 is a plan view photograph of the drawer slide of the
present invention illustrated in a closed position;
[0021] FIG. 8 is a plan view photograph of substantially all of the
drawer slide of FIG. 7 illustrated in an extended position and with
the self-closing mechanism removed;
[0022] FIG. 9 is a photograph of a back end of the drawer slide
showing the drawer slide in the closed position;
[0023] FIG. 10 is a photograph of the back end of the drawer slide
showing the drawer slide in a partially extended position;
[0024] FIG. 11 is a photograph of the back end of the drawer slide
showing the drawer slide in a completely extended position;
[0025] FIG. 12 is a close-up photograph of a portion of the drawer
slide and self-closing mechanism illustrating the engagement of the
slider with the drawer slide;
[0026] FIG. 13 is a close-up photograph of a portion of the drawer
slide and self-closing mechanism illustrated in the closed
position;
[0027] FIG. 14 is a close-up photograph of a portion of the drawer
slide and self-closing mechanism illustrating the drawer member
after it has disengaged from the slider;
[0028] FIG. 15 is a close-up photograph of a portion of the drawer
member and its surfaces that engage the slider;
[0029] FIG. 16 is a close-up photograph of the self-closing
mechanism in the extended position;
[0030] FIG. 17 is a close-up photograph of the self-closing
mechanism in the retracted position;
[0031] FIG. 18 is a close-up photograph of the underside of the
self-closing mechanism in the extended position;
[0032] FIG. 19 is a close-up photograph of the underside of the
self-closing mechanism in the extended position taken from a
different angle than that of FIG. 18;
[0033] FIG. 20 is a close-up photograph of a portion of the
self-closing mechanism illustrated in the retracted position with
the drawer slide in the extended position;
[0034] FIG. 21 is a close-up photograph of the underside of a
portion of the drawer slide and self-closing mechanism;
[0035] FIG. 22 is a photograph of the front end of the drawer slide
illustrated in its closed or retracted position;
[0036] FIG. 23 is a photograph of the front end of the drawer slide
illustrated in a partially extended position;
[0037] FIG. 24 is a photograph of the underside of the front
portion of the drawer slide illustrated in the partially extended
position;
[0038] FIG. 25 is a close-up photograph of a middle portion of the
drawer slide;
[0039] FIG. 26 is a photograph of the front portion of the drawer
slide illustrated in a partially extended position;
[0040] FIG. 27 is a side elevational view of the self-closing
mechanism removed from the drawer slide;
[0041] FIG. 28 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the
body of the self-closing mechanism of the present invention;
[0042] FIG. 29 is an end elevation view of the body of FIG. 28;
[0043] FIG. 30 is a side elevation view of the body of FIG. 29;
and
[0044] FIG. 31 is an plan view of the cabinet member illustrating
the relative position of the closing mechanism tab.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0045] The present invention will now be described with reference
to the accompanying drawings wherein the reference numerals
appearing in the following written description correspond to like
numbered elements in the drawings and photographs. A drawer 30 is
depicted in FIG. 1 being supported by two drawer slides 32
according to one aspect of the present invention. Each drawer slide
32 is attached to a side 34 of drawer 30. Each drawer slide 32 is
further attached to the inside of a cabinet 36. More specifically,
drawer slides 32 are attached to each sidewall 38 of the cabinet
36. Each drawer slide 32 includes a self-closing mechanism 40
positioned adjacent a back end 42 of the drawer slide 32.
[0046] Each drawer slide 32 includes a plurality of members that
are telescopingly interfitted between each other. These members
allow the drawer slide to move between an extended position, in
which the drawer is open, and a closed position in which the drawer
is closed within cabinet 36. FIG. 1 illustrates the drawer in a
partially opened position. As the drawer 30 is moved in a rearward
direction 44, it moves closer and closer to a closed position.
Within approximately one inch of being in its completely closed
position, self-closing mechanism 40 automatically pulls the drawer
30 to its completely closed position. The user of the drawer
therefore only has to close the drawer to within approximately one
inch of its closed position and the self-closing mechanism 40 will
take over and completely close the drawer automatically. The
self-closing mechanism 40 further ensures that the drawer 30 will
remain in the closed position until a user pulls it outwardly to an
extended position. It will be understood, of course, that the
precise distance at which self-closing mechanism 40 initiates a
closing force on the drawer can be varied substantially from the
approximately one inch distance described above.
[0047] FIG. 2 illustrates the self-closing mechanism 40 detached
from drawer slide 32. When assembled, self-closing mechanism 40 is
attached to a cabinet member 46 of drawer slide 32. Cabinet member
46 includes four mounting holes 48 in its central web 46a, which
receive four flexible tabs 50 positioned on a body 52 of
self-closing mechanism 40. Each flexible tab 50 includes a
generally vertical portion 50a (with respect to its mounting
orientation shown in FIG. 1) and a generally horizontal portion 50b
(with respect to its mounting orientation shown in FIG. 1). Each
vertical portion 50a has a lateral extent that is sufficient to
extend into and be seated in a respective mounting opening 48, as
will be more fully described below. Horizontal portion 50b includes
a lateral extent that forms a profile generally commensurate in
shape with the inner surface of cabinet rail 46 and, further, has a
height that is sufficient to form a snap fit with rail 46 when
inserted in rail 46. The cabinet member 46 includes a pair of
flanges 54 that contact flexible tabs 50 and with which portions
50b provide snap-fit connections and, further, cause portions 50a
to be pushed or inserted, at least partially, into mounting holes
48 when portions 50b are aligned in rail 46 between flanges 48.
Once portions 50a of flexible tabs 50 have been inserted into
mounting holes 48, self-closing mechanism 40 is securely held in
place and affixed to cabinet member 46. Its release can then be
accomplished by manually pushing each of the portions 50a out of
mounting holes 48 and sliding self-closing mechanism 40 out of
cabinet member 46 in rearward direction 44.
[0048] Self-closing mechanism 40 includes a slider 56 that is
slidable within body 52 between a retracted position and an
extended position. FIG. 3 depicts slider 56 in the retracted
position while FIG. 4 depicts slider 56 in the extended position.
Slider 56 includes a tab 58 that interacts with a drawer member 60
that is part of drawer slide 32. In the illustrated embodiment, tab
58 comprises a round cylindrical member. Drawer member 60 is the
portion of drawer slide 32 that attaches to the drawer. Drawer
member 60 is slidable with respect to cabinet member 46 of drawer
slide 42.
[0049] As illustrated in FIGS. 14-20, self-closing mechanism 40
further includes a planar surface 62. A generally straight channel
64 is defined in planar surface 62. Straight channel 64 provides a
runway or guide structure for the movement of slider 56. Straight
channel 64 includes a front end 66 and a back end 68. A holding
notch 70 is defined adjacent the back end 68 of straight channel 64
and planar surface 62 (FIG. 17). As will be described in more
detail below, holding notch 70 allows slider 56 to be maintained in
an extended position while the drawer is opened. When the drawer is
almost closed, tab 58 engages a portion of the drawer slide which
causes slider 56 to move out of holding notch 70 and into straight
channel 64. When positioned in straight channel 64, slider 56 is
pulled by way of a spring 72 toward back end 68 of channel 64.
Spring 72 comprises a coil spring that is mounted on one end to
slider and on another end to body 52. As best seen in FIGS. 5 and
6, body 52 includes an end wall 52a with a tab 52b, with the
proximal end of spring 72 mounted to tab 52b, such that spring 72
is fully enclosed in body 72. Because tab 58 is still engaged with
the drawer slide while it is pulled toward back end 68, this
rearward movement of slider 56 causes drawer member 60 to be pulled
toward the closed position, as well as the attached drawer. The
rearward movement of slider 56 toward back end 68 therefore causes
the drawer to automatically be closed. As noted, this movement is
caused by spring 72, which is stretched when slider 56 is held in
holding notch 70. Spring 72 returns to its substantially
unstretched condition when slider 56 has moved completely toward
back end 68 of channel 64.
[0050] Slider 56 is depicted in more detail in FIGS. 6, and 6A-6D.
Slider 56 includes, in addition to tab 58, a spring attachment
flange 74, a top portion 76, a bottom portion 78, and an
intermediate portion 80. Top portion 76 comprises a generally
planar member with generally planar upper and lower surfaces.
Bottom portion 78, which is spaced from upper portion 76, has a
generally planar upper surface that faces the lower planar surface
of upper portion 76, which together provide guide surfaces for
slider 56 on body 52. Top and bottom portions 76 and 78 are both
wider than the width of straight channel 64, while intermediate
portion 80 is at least somewhat narrower than the width of straight
channel 64. Intermediate portion 80 therefore fits within straight
channel 64. Because top and bottom portions 76 and 78 are wider
than the width of straight channel 64, slider 56 is prevented from
being moved out of straight channel 64 in a direction perpendicular
to the longitudinal extent of straight channel 64 and the plane
defined by planar surface 62. Intermediate portion may comprise a
solid member or, as illustrated, may comprise a pair of spaced
members 80a and 80b, which extend between upper and bottom portions
76, 78 and guide slider 56 along channel 64. Furthermore, spaced
members 80a and 80m may comprise round cylindrical members to
provide a smooth gliding action for slider 56 along channel 64.
[0051] As best seen in FIG. 6A, bottom portion 78 of slider 56
includes an elongate depending portion 78a, which provides
reinforcement to bottom portion 78 and also provides to some degree
of lateral support for spring 72. Portion 78a is offset from flange
74 to provide a recess 52c in body 52 through which spring 72
extends to be mounted on flange 74, which includes a retaining lip
74a for retaining the end of spring 72 on flange 74.
[0052] In order to position slider 56 within straight channel 64,
slider 56 is first moved into an enlarged opening 82 defined in
planar surface 62 (FIGS. 16-17). Enlarged opening 82 is
sufficiently large to allow slider 56 to fit therein. Once
positioned in enlarged opening 82, slider 56 is moved toward back
end 68 of straight channel 64. As slider 56 is moved in this
direction, the width of enlarged opening 82 tapers to a width
generally corresponding to that of straight channel 64. Enlarged
opening 82 eventually tapers to an intermediate channel 84 that
intersects straight channel 64 at an angle. A stop surface 86 is
defined adjacent the intersection of intermediate channel 84 with
straight channel 64. By appropriately pivoting slider 56, it can be
inserted through intermediate channel 84 and into straight channel
64. Thereafter, slider 56 cannot be removed from straight channel
64 without pivoting it out through intermediate channel 84. In
normal operation, such pivoting through intermediate channel 84
does not take place and must be accomplished by manual
intervention. In normal operation, slider 56 therefore slides
between holding notch 70 and stop surface 86.
[0053] As depicted in FIGS. 7 and 8, as well as FIGS. 22-26, drawer
slide 32 is a three-member drawer slide. Drawer slide 32 includes
drawer member 60 which is mountable to a drawer. It further
includes cabinet member 46 which is mountable to the inside of a
cabinet. Further, it includes an intermediate member 88 that is
mounted and slidable in between drawer member 60 and cabinet member
46. The movement of intermediate member 88 and drawer member 60
with respect to cabinet member 46 is facilitated by way of a
plurality of bearings 90. An example of one type of bearing 90 is
depicted in more detail in FIG. 25. Bearings 90 in FIG. 25 are ball
bearings that are held in proper position between intermediate
member 88 and drawer member 60 by way of a cage 92a. Bearings 90
are in contact with bearing surfaces on both intermediate member 88
and drawer member 60. Further, ball bearings 90 are positioned
between intermediate member 88 and the flanges 54 of cabinet member
46. These additional ball bearings are not visible in FIG. 25, but
are maintained in their proper position by way of a cage 92b
positioned between intermediate member 88 and cabinet member 46. As
illustrated more clearly in FIG. 22, all of the drawer members 60
and intermediate member 88 are positioned or nested within cabinet
member 46. That is, flanges 54 of cabinet member 46 completely
surround all of the components and bearing surfaces of drawer
member 60 and intermediate member 88. Drawer member 60 and
intermediate member 88 thus telescopingly slide within cabinet
member 46.
[0054] While drawer slide 32 has been described herein as
comprising three different members, it will be appreciated that the
self-closing mechanism of the present invention can be applied to
drawer slides having different numbers of drawer members, such as
two, or greater than three. Further, while drawer member 60
illustrated in the accompanying photographs includes a plurality of
apertures 94 for mounting it to a drawer, it will be understood
that the particular manner in which drawer member 60 is attached to
a drawer is not part of the present invention. In fact, the present
invention finds equal application to drawer slides that are mounted
to both the drawer and the drawer cabinet in different manners from
that illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
[0055] The interaction of tab 58 of slider 56 with drawer member 60
can best be understood with reference to FIGS. 12-15. As can be
seen in these figures, drawer member 60 includes an angled channel
96. Angled channel 96 includes a first surface 98 that contacts tab
58 as the drawer is initially moved from the completely closed
position toward an extended position. As drawer member 60 is pulled
outwardly out of the cabinet 36, first surface 98 engages tab 58
and pulls tab 58, as well as slider 56, from back end 68 of
straight channel 64 toward front end 66. When slider 56 has reached
the front end 66 of straight channel 64, tab 58 and slider 56 can
no longer be pulled any farther in straight channel 64. At this
point, first surface 98, due to its angled nature, pushes against
tab 58 and forces slider 56 to move into holding notch 70. After
slider 56 has been moved into holding notch 70, angled surface 98
disengages from tab 58. Drawer member 60 can thereafter be moved
completely to its extended position. When drawer member 60 is in
the completely extended position, such as is illustrated in FIG.
11, slider 56 is frictionally held in holding notch 70 by way of
the shape of holding notch 70 and the rearward biasing force
exerted by spring 72 against it.
[0056] As drawer member 60 is moved back toward its retracted
position in rearward direction 44, a second surface 100 in angled
channel 96 eventually comes in contact with tab 58. Because of the
angled nature of second surface 100, second surface 100 pushes
slider 56 out of holding notch 70. Once slider 56 has been pushed
out of holding notch 70, the force of spring 72 on slider 56 causes
slider 56 to be pulled backward toward back end 68 of channel 64.
This backward movement of slider 56 also causes drawer member 60 to
be pulled backward because of tab 58's engagement with first
surface 98 of angled channel 96. This backward movement causes
drawer member 60 to automatically move to a completely closed
position. Self-closing mechanism 40 thereby completely closes the
drawer after slider 56 has moved out of holding notch 70.
[0057] In certain situations, slider 56 may inadvertently move out
of holding notch 70 before drawer member 60 has been moved into
contact with tab 58. An example of this situation is depicted in
FIG. 20. FIG. 20 illustrates slider 56 moved all the way back to
back end 68 of channel 64 while drawer member 60 is still in an
extended position (not visible). When self-closing mechanism 40 is
in the state depicted in FIG. 20, it will not automatically pull
drawer member 60 toward the closed position. This is because slider
56 has already been pulled toward its rear most position by spring
72. When the drawer is closed and slider 56 is in the position
illustrated in FIG. 20, a third surface 102 (FIG. 13) of angled
channel 96 will eventually come into contact with tab 58 as the
drawer is closed. Because third surface 102 is angled, its contact
with tab 58 will cause slider 56 to pivot such that tab 58 can move
into angled channel 96 as the drawer is completely closed. Once tab
58 is completely moved into angled channel 96, normal operation of
self-closing mechanism 40 returns.
[0058] As can be seen in FIGS. 6B and 27, tab 58 includes an angled
top surface 104. Angled top surface 104 helps prevent any
interference from a drawer with tab 58. Optimally, the angle of the
surface 104 is such that surface 104 extends below flanges 54 of
cabinet member 46, with the back edge 104a of surface 104 recessed
below the outer edges of flanges 54 as best seen in FIG. 31.
Because drawer member 60 can flex somewhat toward and away from
cabinet member 46, it is possible in some situations for the drawer
attached to drawer member 60 to come into contact with the top
surface of tab 58. The sloped nature of top surface 104 helps to
minimize any interference that this contact might otherwise create,
as well as to reduce any potential this interaction might have for
damaging tab 58.
[0059] Referring to FIGS. 28-30, the numeral 140 generally
designates another embodiment of a self-closing mechanism of the
present invention. Self-closing mechanism 140 is of similar
construction to mechanism 40 and includes slider 56 and a body 152.
For further details of slider 56 and of how slider 56 is mounted in
body 152, reference is made to the previous embodiment.
[0060] In the illustrated embodiment, body 152 includes planar
surface 62 and channel 64, similar to body 52, and further includes
a pair of ramps provided by a pair of projecting tabs or flanges
152d and 152e. Tabs 152d and 152e project from end wall 152c of
body 152 and project above planar surface 62. The upper portions of
tabs 152d and 152e include sloped surfaces 153d and 153e that form
an acute angle with respect to planar surface 62. Surfaces 153d and
153e provide ramp surfaces to raise the level of the drawer member
60. In this manner, tab 58 is properly engaged by member 60 when
drawer member 60 is pushed into its retracted position.
[0061] To minimize the potential for a jam, as best seen in FIGS.
29 and 30, the uppermost portions of surfaces 153d and 153e align
at least at or above the base 58a of tab 58. In this manner, the
lower surface of member 60 will be raised at or above the base 58a
of tab 58 and so that channel 96 will engage tab 58 at or above
base 58a.
[0062] Though illustrated with two tabs (152d and 152e), it should
be understood that a single, preferably centered tab or more than
two tabs may also be used. However, where two or more ramps are
provided, the ramps are preferably arranged to straddle channel or
notch 96. In this manner, drawer member 60 will be raised before
tab 58 enters channel 96.
[0063] While a wide variety of different materials may be used
within the scope of the present invention, the self-closing
mechanism is preferably entirely made of plastic with the exception
of spring 72. Further, spring 72 is preferably cylindrically shaped
and defines an interior that is free of any structures. Stated
alternatively, spring 72 is not wrapped around any elongated
member. Thus, when spring 72 flexes and retracts, it does not
slidingly contact any interior member positioned inside its
cylindrical shape. This reduces any noise or wear that might
otherwise be created by an internal member positioned within the
cylindrical shape of spring 72.
[0064] While the present invention has been described in terms of
the embodiments depicted in the drawings and discussed above, it
will be understood by one skilled in the art that the present
invention is not limited to these particular embodiments, but
includes any and all such modifications that are within the spirit
and scope of the present invention as defined in the appended
claims.
* * * * *